Can I Handle This Craziness?
by MariaRoseguard
Summary: Re-post! To put it simply, I died and was reborn as a baby. And I have to say, everything that I once thought logical was completely turned inside out...
1. Chapter 1

Chatter was surrounding me as I casually walked on the pavement, the incoherent talking taking tones of boredom, excitement, and the occasional exaggerated disappointment. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my red sweater as my female friend's voice-Bethany-slowly became part of the background noise, my mind completely empty of any thought while my eyes are focused on a lone cloud above.

When Bethany's voice seemed to end in a question, I hummed out my agreement, not caring if that was the correct answer or not. I felt a push on my right shoulder and managed to catch my balance by using my right foot. Turning on my left heel, I faced my friend with slightly widened eyes and raised eyebrows.

"What?" I questioned with an underline of annoyance. With a huff through her nose, she pointed a finger to a small pathway located between two buildings. "You're walking the wrong way." I hummed in confusion while scrunching my eyebrows together, "What do you mean?" I asked. Casting a glance at the path I was taking, I said, "This is the way to the movie theater."

She had a slight look of surprise in her brown eyes. Bethany blinked once before shaking her head, her brown locks swinging side to side from her ponytail. She gave a short frustrated sigh. "I thought you were listening." She turned on her heel and started to walk towards the alleyway. "I'm taking a short cut, you following or not?" She voiced out as she walked deeper into the small path, not stopping or turning to me.

I took a few steps forward and peeked into the alleyway. It wasn't too small, enough to fit three people side by side, and the only thing in it was a large dumpster.

Seeing no noticeable signs of danger, I shrugged my shoulders and sped off towards Bethany. A few steps in her direction and I suddenly felt the childish urge to pass by her, as if I was in a race. Reacting to the playful spark, I dashed by her surprised figure with a half smile on my face. I heard her familiar giggling behind me as soon as she figured out what I was doing. Soon, the clack of her boots echoed in the alleyway as she ran behind me.

I passed by the dumpster-god, is the smell horrid-but that was as far as I could have gotten.

An unclean man jumped out from behind the dumpster just as soon as I was four feet away from it. I made the mistake of stopping right in front of him, and I paid for that simple error by receiving a blow directly to the trachea with a rusted metal pole. A crack sounded out inside my head.

In the last few seconds I could hear and see-the sense if touch no longer active-, I saw the blue sky with the small lone cloud, now even smaller as the winds were spreading it to become slightly transparent. The beginnings of a scream was behind me, screeching and loud pitched, but it was cut out in the middle as the cloud finally disappeared, my senses deciding that they can no longer serve me.

* * *

_Goddammit, can someone tell me what the hell is going on?! _Nothing but gurgles escaped my throat as my eyes were blinded by the fluorescent lights above, my attempts to say something falling on deaf ears. The people in white kept on moving around, their rubber gloves grabbing at my slime soaked limbs as I squirmed around to avoid them.

_Hey, don't touch me!_ A whining groan sounded out as they closed their fingers around my arms and legs. I shivered against the cold gloves, the A.C. in the room not making it any better as it teasingly blew on my exposed figure. One of the people dressed in white brought out a silver pair of scissors from a tray a small distance away. It brought the clippers closer to my body, pulling the thin metal blades apart as I tensed up.

I tried to keep all fear from changing the expression on my face, although my stomach couldn't help but churn as my eyes landed on a fleshy tube protruding from my belly. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw the scissors getting closer towards the tube, but I ignored it as I followed where the tube was connected to.

It was connected to a...

_Oh God..._

They cut the tube with one snip before clamping it closed with tools I can't name. My eyes were as wide as they could be when I averted them from in between thin legs to tired unfocused orbs. They suddenly snapped into focus once the female realized she had my attention. Her black wavy hair was sticking to her forehead and cheeks as she gave a small smile, her light caramel eyes twinkling with happiness under the artificial light.

The way she was looking at me managed to calm some of the panic pulsing through my body. A small bubble of shy delight formed in my throat, my body flushing a soft red as she gave her full attention at me.

Even if her stare didn't contain any malice, it was still embarrassing to have her pay her focus on me and me only.

We were having a little moment. A moment where any negative emotion was banished from our minds and replaced with a calming happiness. I wouldn't say that it felt right-since she was staring at me in all of my naked glory-, but I felt like I wanted to grin or giggle. I wanted to show at least a tiny sign that indicated that I was slightly elated.

A gloved hand smacked my backside and I screamed at how wrong that felt.

Okay, moment ruined...

* * *

If you enjoyed it, you enjoyed it. If you didn't, well, at least you read some of it before coming to that decision.

Review if you like.


	2. Chapter 2

I recently got my phone (FOR THE FIRST FREAKING TIME!) and found out I could write my fanfiction on this phone without having to write in code. This might cause me to write my fanfiction faster, but this could just be wishful thinking.

* * *

My new mother, Sumire, was rocking me back and forth, her throat producing soothing musical hums as she immersed herself into the beat of her lullabies. I was ignoring it all-or at least trying, the way she's rocking me makes my eyelids grow heavy-and chose to stare at the white footed pajamas adorning my body.

I lifted one baby foot, taking the time to marvel at the small size of it once again, then wiggled my toes to see if it was real. The soft cloth covering my foot moved with my toes, stretching and creating wrinkles until they went back to their original position.

_As fucked up as this it, _I placed my foot back on top of Sumire's fore-arm, _this is reality._

My sigh was close to inaudible compared to the vibrations rumbling through Sumire's chest, and was easily drowned out as a result.

A new sound came into hearing; although not musical, it took the pattern of an opening door. The slight shift of the doorknob, a creak of its hinges, and a tall figure made itself prominent from behind the mud colored door.

With dragging footsteps and a loose tie, my new dad, Ivan, came in with a hand running through his dark brown hair, brown eyes glazed over with fatigue. Sumire's humming stopped some time ago as she watched her husband collapse on the bed as soon as his knees touched the edge of it. With a slight bounce to the mattress, Ivan kicked off his black shoes and closed his eyes to take in the feeling of comfort the sheets were giving him.

Sumire continued to rock me in a steady beat, a smile appearing on her face at the tired behavior her husband was showing.

While his nose was buried inside the whiteness of the pillows, I watched him with focused eyes, waiting for him to lift his head once he had sensed my stare. I was slightly hoping he would try to play the 'peek-a-boo' game once he was fully conscious (Not once has he made me laugh), but, seeing that he wasn't even moving, I turned my head away and looked at Sumire.

Her eyes were closed and her humming has started up again. The long black waves of her hair were tied behind her back, the color of it a contrast to her light colored skin. Under the lids of her eyes, I could see the beginnings of bags, albeit rather faint but still noticeable.

I guess I could blame this on myself. My mother (My original mom) always told me the taking care of a newborn baby is the hardest part of being parents. Although I tried my best to take care of myself, more for my sake then theirs, it appears that it isn't enough to relieve her part of stress. But, then again, what can a baby with advanced intelligence do besides wait for the next day to come?

A rather easy answer, practically nothing.

A few moments of hum filled peace later, a creak of springs joined the humming with a soft staccato. Shifting slightly in thin arms, I raised my eyebrows slightly at Ivan's position on his back. His eyes were staring intently at me, losing what focus they had before becoming as clear as a cloudless sky, as if an idea purified them.

He pushed himself on his elbows, paused for a single second, before bouncing off the king sized mattress with anything but grace. He stumbled slightly as he landed on his feet, almost bumping into the wall but caught his balance in time. He laughed at himself silently, making a comment under his breathe before turning and walking towards me as steadily as he could.

He stopped two steps in front of me and Sumire. Ivan crouched a bit, locking eyes with his wife as she opened hers, the light swinging of her arms ceased their movement. Sumire smiled lovingly up at her husband as she gently turned me so I could sit on her lap. With growing curiousity, I laid my back on the woman's stomach and turned my head upwards, watching a small, but still romantic, scene unfold before me.

Ivan smiled lazily, looking as if he might fall forward from lack of proper sleep. To ensure balance, he placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, gripping it lightly and slowly moved forward. He placed a brief kiss on Sumire's lips before pulling away to ask a question, "_May I hold my daughter?_"

I could feel Sumire's arms tighten around me, as if reluctant to let me go. She looked down at me, her smile still present on her face before giving a reply in a foreign language, probably Japanese from the way it sounds. Although I couldn't understand what she was saying, I can guess it was a yes from the way Ivan's face lit up.

Without a moments hesitation, he scooped me up into his arms and wrapped them around me in a fashion similar to Sumire's. He turned on his heel and padded back to the bed, his eyes never once leaving my figure. He gently sat down on the edge of the mattress, scooting back just a bit in case he might slip off of it.

God knows what would happen if he fell on his rump while I was still being held.

After the first few moments of staring that left me a bit uncomfortable, Ivan did what any good father would do to pull out a laugh from his beloved baby, he made himself look stupid for my pleasure. He twisted and turned his face from looks of exaggerated horror to wide crooked grins, the canines in his teeth glinting much like those sharks in cartoons who are ready to give chase to their meal.

Because I felt the urge to tease him, I refused to let out a single laugh or chuckle to any face made to look laughable. It was only until Ivan gave a sigh of defeat-to which I cheered internally-that I laughed as much as my underdeveloped vocal chords could give. He fumed slightly, puffing out his cheeks in a childish manner.

Off to the side, Sumire made a comment in her native tongue, a giggle lacing between the teasing syllables. Ivan scoffed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling before landing on the Japanese woman. _"Like you don't like to push my buttons. You_ _and__ little Akimoto are practically the same." _ Sumire only chuckled.

From her seat on the single armchair, the woman stood up and brushed off imaginary dust from her black t-shirt. Another barrage of words in Japanese tumbled from her lips, directing them to Ivan but motioning to me with a wave of her hand. Whatever she mentioned, her husband merely nodded to her in agreement.

I watched her as she walked past me, my eyebrows scrunched in confusion as she twisted the metal knob of the door and gently pulled it open. I felt Ivan shift me around in his arms, turning me so I would be facing him. Another tired smile appeared across his chapped lips. _"Mommy's_ _ going to get you milk."_ Without too much trouble, the male turned me around again before lifting me into the air, allowing me to see Sumire's amused face from over her shoulder._ "Now, say th__ank you to her."_

_"'__ank you."_

Now, I fully know that Ivan didn't mean it when he told me to say thank you. I was well aware that he was going to pretend that I was speaking by using his own voice, but where's that fun in that? I felt the urge to surprise them by saying something that could be understood. I was really curious as to what their reactions would be.

I wasn't disappointed.

I can't say I was happy when Ivan squeezed the life out of me in a tight bear hug, showering me with praises and sputtering how proud he his to be a father. Sumires react proved to be more amusing. She stood rigid by the door, her mental functions seemed to have stopped working before they kicked back into gear. From a grown woman to a developing child, she stumbled a few times as she ran through the door; crashes could be heard in the next room. She came back red in the face, a digital camera at hand. Both Ivan and I smiled once we saw her finger slowly press the button. Praises of different languages entered my ears as I smiled in amusement, feeling a little embarrassed at the compliments that I could understand.

_Really, why am I in this situation. _I thought as I leaned into Ivan's chest, sleep slowly pulling my eyelids shut. _But, at least I'm in good hands..._


	3. Chapter 3

Upon reaching the entrance of the flea market on my own two toddler feet-with my wrists trapped in vise grips-, I felt overwhelmed at the sight of countless people towering over me by at least three feet.

Many of them were smiling, bags at hand and striding in a slow, laidback pace. But even when they showed no signs of malicious intent, it still frightened me at their sheer size and population.

With a tense expression that wore a thin layer of sweat (it's the humidity, I swear!), I forced myself to walk forward as my parents-the word seems so foreign now.-dragged me with them, leaving me no choice but to follow them to keep from tripping.

On one side, I could hear Mom muttering to herself in that foreign language again, her focus on a small slip of paper as she expertly twisted around to avoid touching the flesh of others. Thanks to all of those Japanese learning programs that she made me sit through, I could get an idea of what she whispering about.

As she whispered the ingredients for dinner tonight-and muttering a reminder to buy underwear for herself and me-, Mom took a step to the side to avoid a running brunette. She crumbled the slip of paper in her hand and stuffed it deep within the pockets of her pants. Casting a glance over to Dad (should I really acknowledge them as my parents?), she questioned whether or not he was going to remember all this. Looking a bit miffed at the question, he responded,_ "Of course, I don't have a short memory."_

She smiled at the reaction, liking the fact she could easily ruffle his feathers. She commented on something with a voice that held a teasing undertone, causing Dad to scoff with a pout.

He said nothing more as his wife smiled in victory. He cracked a smile.

After the friendly spat the pair had, we stopped in front of a small market, its walls dull with age. Pushing the door by the handle, a small bell ringed to announce our presence as a strong draft whipped itself at us, my blue overalls fluttering with the small breeze. Mom shivered once, goose bumps dotting her legs, before wrapping her thin, navy blue hoodie around herself and stepping inside, dragging both me and Dad with her.

* * *

After buying what was necessary-and a few treats set aside for later-, the little bell rang as we exited out. With polite goodbyes said to the workers, the smudged glass door slowly closed behind us as we walked to the crowded part of the flea market filled to the brim with clothes.

Part of our journey was interrupted at the sound of sniffles and the occasional hiccups of a small child. Maternal instincts kicked in for both Mom and Dad, so they, along with me, immediately toured away from our original path and walked towards the source of the sounds.

We weaved our way around joined couples and humming loners on the beaten down path, my parents hands never once slipping off of my wrists. More often then not, I would feel as though I was about to be lost in a sea of sweaty people, but the grips of Sumire and Ivan stayed strong.

Reaching the other side of the road with anything but grace, our vision was greeted with tuffs of brown hair defying the laws of gravity. Clad in a red and yellow striped shirt and brown shorts, the slightly chubby figure of the boy shivered as he tried to stuff his sobbing back inside his throat, his mother nowhere to be seen. This served to piss Mom, Dad, and I off.

_What mother would leave their kid unwatched?_

With a curse meant to be unheard, Mom gave the kid a tap on the shoulder. He whipped around as if he was hit, his whole body indicating that he was afraid. Upon the vision of his face, my eyes widened as I gazed at the boy with surprise and disbelief. A curse from my mouth was lost among the collection of other comments from the background,_ "Holy shit..."_

Mom asked if he was lost.

He hesitated, looking as if he'll run, but nodded.

She asked for his name.

Again, he hesitated. He took a step back, but still didn't run away. The utterance of his name cause me to forget my breath, my mind shutting itself to process the words into my memory, "S-Sawada Tsunayoshi..."

* * *

The market was almost completely empty, thin trails of people scattered about here and there as Mom lead Tsunayoshi by the shoulder. Thin beads of sweat dotted the boys forehead, his hair slightly damp as a result of our three hour hunt for his lost mother. Every so often, I would find myself gazing at Tsunayoshi, trying to convince myself that even though this defies the type of logic I believe in, he is real. I would have scoffed at myself and say this was simply a dream, but, committing an act of self denial would make me feel incredibly stupid.

I certainly want to avoid acting like those cliche main characters that deny everything they see until someone gives them a slap of their view point on reality.

Eventually, Dad informed Mom that we both have reached our limits after arriving at a small park void of any human life. When she murmured her agreement, Tsunayoshi visibly relaxed and immediately raced for the swings despite how tired he seemed. Mom let go of my hand and groggily walked over to one of the benches set to face the swings. When they both planted their behinds on their seat, they both gave a sigh in unison.

Dad chuckled slightly as I cracked a smile.

I gently pulled myself away from Dad's hand, who quickly walked towards his wife, and slowly made my way to the unoccupied swing to the right of Tsunayoshi. Once safely on the seat of the chained swing, I gave a quick glance at the young boy before looking out into the distance to daydream, comparing this life like version of Tsunayoshi to his animated version.

There had been an unbroken silence ever since the beginning of the search for Nana. Not once did I try to break this awkward silence with a conversation, for I didn't know a single word of Japanese. Occasionally, Tsunayoshi would try to initiate a conversation by saying things that I can't understand, leaving me to stare at him with a look of confusion and further making the atmosphere awkward. He would repeat it in a louder voice, as if the noise was the reason I couldn't understand, but I only shrugged before focusing on something else to drive the rising feeling of embarrassment away from my face.

Eventually, he stopped talking, a look of disappointment upon his face.

Tsunayoshi had a look of shock on his face when he saw me take a seat in the swing next to him. With a straight back, I turned and gave a smile after a bit of hesitation. I really am not used to approaching people, let alone trying to communicate. As though a weight was lifted off of his shoulders, the brown haired boy looked relieved and gave an awkward grin, one of his hands playing with the collar of his shirt.

More awkward silence between us. Tsunayoshi opened his mouth, looking to try and create a conversation again, before shutting his mouth when nothing popped into his head. Frantically, he began to look around the small park, looking for any type of thing that could spark an idea of how to start this conversation.

He eyes shifted from the benches-Dad looked to have fallen asleep on Moms shoulder- all the way to the slide near the end of the park. Finally, his attention landed on something on the ground. An idea lit his face like a light bulb.

He turned back towards me, his eyes looking happy, and said something that I could understand, "What's your favorite Pokemon?"

Feeling a bit surprised, I quickly answered, "Pikachu..."

* * *

Tsunayoshi was a mess of snot and tears at the sight of Nana. He shrugged off of Moms protective hold on him and ran towards his mom, his arms open and ready to embrace her.

She didn't hesitate to hug him back. With tears dotting the corners of her eyes, Nana thanked Mom and Dad for bringing back her son. They gave a nod, acknowledging the thanks as Nana swung Tsunayoshi around in circles, who squealed in delight.

Mom and Dad allowed for the moment to continue for the next five minutes. Once the small reunion was finished, Mom approached Nana with a vein bulging at the corner of her forehead and stared to lecture her about being a good mother. Mom waved her arms around to give more emphasis to her lightning fast teaching, her eyes thinned to a glare once she finished giving the mother a piece of her mind.

Nana resembled a statue for the first few seconds, her mind trying to process that events that took place. Once she caught up with time, she immediately put Tsunayoshi down, who by now was terrified beyond his mind, and bowed low in apology. Words in Japanese spilled out of her mouth with a tone of regret, coming out in large doses as Tsunayoshi grabbed the long skirt of his mom.

Mom only scoffed, her arms crossed over her chest as she said that excuses don't work on her. She pointed a finger at Nana as another trail of foreign words escaped her lips, to which Nana nodded.

Mom sighed, looking tired from this event as Nana pulled at her sons hand, walking away from Mom after saying a brief good bye. Dad tugged at my hand and pulled us next to Mom, who was carefully watching the mother and son pair walk off with a hawk like gaze.

_"I couldn't even say what was on my mind..." _Dad said with disappointment. _"But, I suppose she already punished herself enough."_Mom agreed with a nod of her head.

As Tsunayoshi and his mother walked down the side walk hand in hand, Tsunayoshi turned his body around to look at me. Slowly, he lifted his hand and waved it from side to side, yelling, "Good bye!" in the loudest voice he could muster.

As the last dying rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, I happily yelled back my good byes, "Good bye, Tsunayoshi!"

As soon as they turned the next corner, Mom, Dad, and I turned on our heels and walked our pathway home.


End file.
